1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for printing a print document that includes a plurality of pages, which allows a user to make print settings for each page. In particular, the present invention relates to a technology which allows a user to easily change or set printing papers in accordance with a print setting when printing a print document that requires two or more types of printing papers, and prevents degradation of a work efficiency of the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a print system in which a user can selectively set one or more print settings for each page of print data of a print document that includes a plurality of pages. Such print settings may include setting a paper type, paper size, direction of a paper, and a paper feed port.
For example, suppose that a user wants to print an A4-size book via a print system, in which the book includes a foldout page using an A3-size paper, i.e., page 30 and page 60 in a print document of 100 pages are foldout pages using A3-size papers. In such a case, the user can designate A3-size paper as one of the print settings (or print settings) for page 30 and page 60 using, for example, a word processor application. Additionally, the user can designate A4-size paper as one of the print settings (or print settings) for the other pages.
Moreover, if a printer includes a plurality of paper feed ports and a user can designate a specific paper feed port in a print setting for each page, the user can designate a paper feed port in which A3-size printing paper is set in the print settings of pages 30 and 60. Similarly, the user can designate a paper feed port in which A4-size printing paper is set in the print settings of pages other than pages 30 and 60. Consequently, it is not necessary for the user to change printing papers in a paper feed port to a different size when printing, and all pages can be printed at once.
Furthermore, there is a print system which includes a sensor that detects the size of the printing paper set in a paper feed port of a printer. When the paper feed port feeds a printing paper, such a print system determines whether the paper size designated in the print setting of the print target page matches the size of the printing paper. For example, if the paper size of the printing paper to be fed and the print setting does not match, the printer does not feed the printing paper. Instead, the printer notifies the user that the printer is out of paper. Consequently, printing on an inappropriate paper can be prevented.
However, there are low-end printers, such as home-use printers, that do not have a plurality of paper feed ports. In such printers, a user can not set printing papers of different sizes in one paper feed port at once. Therefore, conventionally when a user wants to print a document which includes pages that have different print settings, the user can first set only A4-size printing papers in a paper feed port and print only the pages that are set to be printed on A4-size paper. After printing on the A4-size papers, the user can change the printing papers in the paper feed port to A3-size printing papers, and print only the pages that are set to be printed on A3-size papers. Consequently, in such a case, the user is required to perform a plurality of print instructions and paper loading operations. That is, it is necessary for the user to first instruct printing of only A4-size print data (print job), and then instruct printing of only A3-size print data (print job).
Alternatively, the user first sets A4-size printing papers in the paper feed port and prints. When a page which is set to be printed on an A3-size paper is reached, the user changes the printing papers set in the paper feed port to A3-size printing papers and prints. When a page which is set to be printed on an A4-size page is again reached, the user changes the printing paper back to A4-size printing papers.
In the above-described case, if A4-size printing paper is set in the paper feed port in excess in a printer that cannot detect the size of a printing paper, the printer may print on a printing paper of an inappropriate size.
On the contrary, if the printer includes a sensor that detects the size of the printing paper set in the paper feed port, the printer can display to a user that the paper set in the paper feed port is A4-size paper when an A3-size page is to be printed. The printer can also display to the user options for choosing between changing the printing paper to A3-size paper or cancelling printing. However, in either case, the user needs to change the printing paper more than once, or cancel printing once and reprint, which is cumbersome for the user.
Examples of documents in which print settings vary for each page are photo albums, catalogues, and books. In such documents, the types of paper of the front cover, bookblock (for example, pages only for letters), illustration page, and back cover are often different. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-000990 discusses a technology applicable to a printer which includes a sensor that can detect a type of printing paper when printing a document. Such a printer continues to detect the paper type until printing is completed. When a print setting of the print target page does not match the printing paper set in a paper feed port, the printer requests a user to select the next procedure from the following options: cancel printing, eject paper set in the paper feed port, or change the print setting of the print target page to the size of printing paper set in the paper feed port.
However, the method discussed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-000990 requires a user to set printing papers in the paper feed port by considering the paper type and the number of sheets to be printed designated in the print setting, and the order of such printing. Therefore, a user is required to perform cumbersome operations. Moreover, if there is an error in the number or the order of printing papers set in a paper feed port, printing is stopped, or the user needs to frequently change the printing paper, causing degradation of work efficiency.